Chapter 110
It wasn’t a particularly kind explanation, but Derek understood well enough.
In other words, the Emperor deliberately didn’t register her in the family and placed Lea in a palace close to the Imperial Crown Prince’s. Then, he purposely hid the fact that she was a Guide.
“Still, couldn’t he at least have gone ahead and given her a noble title anyway?”
Derek always felt sorry for Lea, who was left isolated and mocked as ‘Lady Haisley’ in the palace. As an illegitimate child himself, he could sympathize more than anyone with the injustices Lea faced.
“That too must have been within His Majesty the Emperor’s expectations.”
“Can’t you explain things properly?”
“Ha, whenever you say things like this, I can tell you’re bastard.”
Derek frowned at the unpleasant remark, but then he realized what Zion meant.
“…It was to keep the nobles from taking an interest, wasn’t it.”
Nobles were the type who would rather favor a poor noble than a wealthy commoner. Their old bonds weren’t something that could easily disappear.
“The problem is whether the Empress knows this or not…”
In Zion’s judgment, it was clear the Empress didn’t know. If that selfish woman had realized the Emperor had this plan and placed Lea here, she would have taken action long ago.
Setting everything else aside, right now Lea needed to diligently meet with the nobles. That was originally Zion’s plan.
But since the Crown Prince wouldn’t let her go, it seemed like only strange rumors would grow, so they couldn’t act recklessly.
Zion massaged his temples, feeling a headache coming on. Just then, Derek, lost in thought, spoke.
“What does your younger brother think?”
“Ilion? About what.”
“About Lady Haisley being a Guide.”
At Derek’s words, Zion looked momentarily caught off guard.
“Would it be possible for me to meet him?”
Derek’s face, which had been tense until a moment ago, quickly returned to its usual pretty expression. For now, he was thinking of getting Lea out of the Crown Prince’s palace.
That was where it would all begin.
* * *
Derek made his plan, but he wasn’t able to put it into action. That very day, Bianca summoned Calix and Lea to the Empress’s palace.
At last, as the two came out of the Crown Prince’s palace, Derek and Zion were waiting for them. And next to Calix, Eric accompanied them under the pretext of providing protection.
Calix found it laughable.
“It’s a place we always go, but you’re making a fuss about it, especially today.”
Lea glanced at him nervously at his openly displeased tone.
“But…”
“Are you trying to take your people’s side, Sister?”
When Lea gave off an air of defending them, Calix’s voice became even lower than before.
“No! That’s not it, these are things Your Highness should have enjoyed from the start.”
At her unexpected statement, Calix’s red eyes widened slightly. Lea continued, unable to hide her delight.
“It must be uncomfortable to suddenly have people around after so long, but these are things Your Highness deserves, so you must accept them from now on.”
Her words influenced not only Calix but also the others. Many had forgotten, due to the power dynamics that had been strangely established long ago.
The fact that the Crown Prince of the Cantabria Empire was none other than Calix.
Still, the one who was most touched was Calix himself. Recently, as he spent time with Lea, he was able to see her true self properly.
She didn’t say much, but the way she looked at him was warm, like sunlight. Sometimes it seemed like she was looking at somewhere far away instead of at him, which bothered him, but whenever that happened he would embrace her and make her look only at him.
He once thought her golden eyes, bright yet cold, resembled the full moon, but now they felt as warm as the sun hanging in the autumn sky. His once brusque gaze softened.
“Sister, you still like to tease me, don’t you.”
His words sounded both mocking and strangely affectionate, making Lea’s cheeks blush. Lately, everything that had happened seemed like a dream, and she felt dazed.
How much had she wished for it before she died. To receive his gentle smile.
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